Packaging company Avisera engaged a sustainability consulting firm to determine how much CO2 was discharged at each stage of our products’ life cycles. Their analysis included all emissions from the manufacturing of the materials to when they reached our customers.

For example, in the case of our paper bags we calculate the emissions from fuel used for forestry equipment used to cut down trees, the energy used in the process of transforming the trees into fibre and so on. We have used data from our factories to perform specific calculations for Avisera’s products.

We offset all of the greenhouse gases that are discharged. Moreover, we have chosen to offset 10% above the results of our emissions analysis, so that both we and our customers can feel completely confident that we are planting a sufficient number of trees.

The most important thing you can do is to reduce your own emissions. However it is difficult to impossible to reduce emissions to zero. Therefore climate compensation is a supplementary action with a large impact.

Avisera offsets by planting trees in Colombia. The tree planting project is certified by Gold Standard, which is an independent organisation.

Gold Standard certification guarantees a given level of carbon sequestration, and ensures social and ecologically sustainable development for both the small farmers and the natural area.

This means that the tree plantings are regularly inspected to ensure carbon sequestration. When trees die or are cut down, new ones are planted. The calculations of the amount of CO2 that is stored by the trees contain generous margins, to be sure that the trees are sequestering the promised amounts of CO2.

Critics of climate compensation sometimes say that we should reduce our own climate impact rather than offsetting it. A company that bases its climate strategy solely on climate compensation could be accused of buying its way out of its responsibility.

But if climate compensation is part of a programme of measures to reduce a company’s climate impact, the compensation becomes a way to extend its climate responsibility instead. Whether this can be compared with buying ones way out or not thus has nothing to do with climate compensation in and of itself; rather, it depends on whether the compensation strategy is allowed to reduce the level of ambition of other climate efforts.

Carbon is a tree’s most important building block, and trees capture carbon via photosynthesis as they grow. Thus new trees function as a carbon sink, in other words they help reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.

It sounds more complicated than it actually is. In brief, it means that we plant trees, and new trees reduce climate impact in two ways:

Yes, planting trees through the Gold Standard programme helps reduce poverty and make communities more sustainable. The farmers’ production and ability to support their families are improved through this project.
The trees provide firewood, lumber, fodder for animals and fruit to eat and sell. The trees also help make people less vulnerable to climate change. The new tree farms have a better chance of surviving during extreme weather conditions such as droughts and floods.

No, the package’s quality is not affected if it is labeled as ÅterBära. The product’s materials, quality and properties are the same; ÅterBära only means that we have offset the emissions created by the package.

We at Avisera love packagings. To help people and companies display, protect and carry things of value – be it a brand, a product or an idea. We are constantly seeking the best solution for each customer, while never forgetting the most important question: How much can the world carry?

We never take more than we give. Nature is our best supplier, our relationship and mutual trust is invaluable.

By planting trees for each product labelled with ÅterBära™, we compensate for all carbon emissions originating from that product. This means that you get a product that is 100% climate neutral.